Resources

Recreation

There is the natural beauty of every season and dozens of ways to enjoy them in Randolph County.

There are parks in Red Bud, Steeleville, Sparta, Eden, Tilden, Coulterville, Chester and Evansville. You can relax on the bluff at Fort Gage and gaze at the confluence of the Grand Kaskaskia and the Mighty Mississippi. Watch riverboats push barge tows larger than football fields up and down the rivers. Observe wildlife in the river flyways, or visit Turkey Bluffs, Baldwin Lake, or the Confluence Heritage Area.

In any season, there is always something to enjoy with your entire family. Like the Popeye Festival and Parade in Chester, the Fall Festival in Coulterville, Eagle Fest in February, visit the World Shooting & Recreation Complex in Sparta, Holiday Happenings in Red Bud, Octoberfest in Steeleville, music celebrations at Schuline, Fort Kaskaskia and Fort de Chartres, and dozens of activities year round.

Thousands of bicyclists visit Randolph County each year to travel the Great River Road and to cross the Chester Bridge over the Mississippi River.

Stay healthy or enjoy youth sports at Chester's Cohen Complex. You'll find a walking/running path, outdoor workout equipment, tennis, soccer, baseball and softball fields. There are walkways and community pools in Red Bud and Sparta. You can play golf, camp, hike, cross-country ski, fish, and enjoy nature at the Randolph County State Recreation Area.

Hunting is superb in the river flyways and in one of the largest deciduous forested areas in the Midwest. More deer are harvested in Randolph County than in any other county in Illinois. Together with our sister county to the south, more deer are harvested than in all other counties in Illinois combined.

St. Louis Cardinals baseball and college football are just an hour away. Whatever you prefer for your recreation time ... the Randolph County region has it all!